Three months of roadworks to hit Twyford village centre

The work is necessary to replace a high voltage underground cable

Villagers in Twyford are bracing themselves for three months of roadworks while a high voltage underground electricity cable is replaced.

Work to replace the cable in the centre of the village begins on Monday, July 28, and is scheduled to last until the end of October.

A stretch of Waltham Road from Wargrave Road opposite Waitrose, through Church Street, across the railway bridge and up to its junction with Winchcombe Road will be excavated.

Councillor Lindsay Ferris said: "In the bad weather in the winter we had 250 power trips in a weekend.

"The cable is shot but they believe it is largely on one side of the road so we could have one way traffic apart from one long weekend when there could be a closure of the crossroads."

The Wokingham borough councillor warned that drivers might try to avoid the roadworks by cutting down residential roads.

Cllr Ferris said: "We need to let people know that there could be increased traffic as people will try to find any alternative route."

A spokesman for Southern Electric Power Distribution said the work was essential maintenance so a reliable power supply could be delivered to customers for many years ahead.

He said: "In order to install a new cable, we need to excavate part of the road surface through the centre of the village between the main substation serving Twyford and Winchcombe Road.

"After initial discussion with the roads authority, we have concluded that the best way to complete the work safely is to use phased road closures at agreed times, with diversions provided for road users.

"We aim to work with the community to keep disruption in the area to a minimum while our work is underway and to complete the job as quickly as we can.

"We will shortly be issuing a letter with further details to residents and displaying notices in the area to help people plan around the work.

"We will also be engaging further with community representatives and the roads authority to keep them informed of our progress and deal with any issues that arise.

"We would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused while this investment in the network is delivered and thank residents for their patience while our engineers carry out their work."